The School of Music and Theatre will return to Freret Street Festival, and as festival sponsor, will collaborate on stage and behind the scenes.
The annual art, music and food festival, which began in 1998 as a neighborhood celebration and homeownership fair, will be held on March 30 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and runs across Freret Street from Napoleon Avenue to Valmont Avenue.
In addition to three live music stages, the festival will have 200 food vendors, art booths, jewelry stands, and other goods for sale.
Many Loyola students, professors, and alumni are performing for the 24th year in a row.
This year’s Loyola performers include Kota Dosa, Crave, Cupid, Justjocin, Geske, Jade Robbins, Gabe Parsons, Tuller, Kristin Diable, and Julser.
The stage headliner is Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes, and Loyola students will collaborate with the band at the end of the festival.
Professor Mike Twillman, who teaches Loyola’s festival production course, is responsible for securing the music and coordinating the festival. His students book the performers and manage festival production responsibilities, he said.
Loyola’s student-run sound production team, NOLA Sound & Visuals, will coordinate sound for the stages, Twillman said.
“Freret Fest presents a terrific opportunity for our students, and has helped expand their professional learning and performance experiences,” Kate Duncan, director of the School of Music and Theatre, said.
